To some people it might seem like all we do is open wounds to have them bleed again by remembering these horrific events. It’s better to just pack it all away and forget about it and get on with the healing. That is the same approach that many take to the grieving process in general. When we lose someone we love, get over it.

Problem is, we don’t get over it. A loss is always there. That person is missing from our lives and we never forget that fact. We may learn to live with that fact, and even enjoy life despite that loss, but there is no getting over it.

And there should be no getting over the horrors of genocide, slavery, mass murders, the Holocaust, the Trail of Tears, Wounded Knee, or 9/11. Memorials should stand in memory of those who died, as well as reminders that at times humanity is sometimes its own worst enemy.

So I am remembering 9/11 with sadness for those who lost their lives, respect for those who gave their lives to save others, and for all the families directly touched by those losses. I am also remembering with anger for all those who use religion as a basis for deciding to commit such horrible acts of terrorism.